Sports Tips & Advice

Top 6 Energy Bars for Runners

By Kelly Bastone | Runner's World

Post-Workout Recovery

When you want a nutrient-rich recovery snack but don't have time to seek out the perfect whole food, eat a carb-rich bar with moderate doses of protein and fiber—five to 10 grams of each for a bar with about 200 calories.

"Postrun, these nutrients can help improve recovery and curb hunger," says Gidus.

For the greatest recovery benefit, eat a bar within 20 minutes of your run. If your workout was particularly hard or long, follow that with a light meal of protein and whole-grain carbs one to two hours later.

Eat Better

When you're having a meal-replacement bar for lunch, supplement it with a serving of yogurt for an extra hit of protein and more nutrients.

What's That Stuff?

Some mysterious ingredients are good—and some aren't

Protein Isolates

Whey and soy proteins are first extracted from a food and then added to bars to boost protein content. Hydrolyzed proteins undergo further processing that removes vitamins but makes the protein more digestible.

Glucose Syrup

It's another term for corn syrup. It's used because it bonds easily with dry or solid ingredients. Its short, simple sugar chains are rapidly absorbed, so it offers instant fuel that's ideal for prerun energy.

Sugar alcohols, such as sorbitol, Xylitol, and maltitol, are low-calorie sweeteners—that cause diarrhea. "I don't see why anyone should have sugar alcohols, but especially not runners," says Tara Gidus, R.D.

Brown Rice Syrup

This sweetener is a bit higher in nutrients and slower-burning than corn syrup. But organic versions can contain traces of arsenic. Its health threats haven't been confirmed, but some companies may stop using it.

Within 2 Miles

Activities near you will have this indicator!

Within 2 Miles

ACTIVE is the leader in online event registrations from 5k running races and marathons to softball leagues and local events. ACTIVE also makes it easy to learn and prepare for all the things you love to do with expert resources, training plans and fitness calculators.

Frequently Asked Questions

ACTIVE Advantage is the premium membership program of ACTIVE, designed to support and encourage your active lifestyle by providing exclusive discounts on thousands of activities on ACTIVE. No matter what your passions are, it is our mission to make it cheaper and easier for you to pursue the activities you love.

The 30-day trial of the ACTIVE Advantage membership allows you to check out the program for yourself before starting a full annual membership. During this trial period you have full access to member benefits, including all ACTIVE registration discounts, access to free event entries, gear discounts and more. If you decide during the trial period that you don't want to continue the membership, just let us know. Otherwise, at the end of your 30 day trial we will extend your member benefits for a full year at the current annual membership fee.

If you sign up for the 30-day ACTIVE Advantage trial membership you'll receive full access to all member benefits during your trial period. When the 30 days of the trial are up, your benefits will automatically upgrade to the annual membership which currently costs $64.95 per year. That's less than $6 per month to enjoy the program all year round.

Members can receive discounts when registering for events on ACTIVE.com.

Simply follow the steps below to redeem your discount

Step 1: Find an event on ACTIVE and login. Use the ACTIVE directory to find an event. Click the login button in the upper right corner of the event details page. You will be re-directed to a login screen. After logging in, you will be sent back to the event details page.

Step 2: Click the "Register Now" button to sign up for the event. Complete all required registration fields and proceed to payment screen. When logged in as an Advantage member, your discount will automatically apply at the end of registration.

Step 3: Submit registration and receive discount. The discount amount will display in your shopping cart and will be deducted from your registration fees. The registration discount will vary and is excluded from some events. If the discount does not appear in your shopping cart, the event is not eligible.